Not Alone
by banshee006
Summary: A short ficlet: In the midst of indulging in their unsettling thoughts, Jack & Kate find peace & comfort in the simplest of things.


Disclaimer: These characters are borrowed from ABC's Lost for creative purposes only and are not in intent of copyright infringement.

The azure moonlight and glow from the camp pyres battled like fire and ice upon the topography of the cave area…

Jack was perched on a log just near the cave waterfall, alone and pensive with thought. It had been a long couple of days for both him and Kate. His mind had digressed into a whirlpool of swirling emotions about his father. Love, admiration, resentment, anger, grief, all in the wake this man had caused in his life, and now left behind in his death. There was no one here to share Jack's pain, to comfort his soul, or to make him feel as if it would all be alright. He was too busy taking care of others to even notice his own needs, then again maybe that was the point….Kate had found him bruised, battered, and incoherent lying in a muddy jungle stream. And much to Sawyer's dismay, she had taken off from the beach with not so much as a goodbye when she heard Jack was missing.

She had experienced her own trip down memory lane last night, startled awake by nightmares from troubles passed. Sawyer had been there to quiet her down, but not before the whole camp had heard her cries of fear and anguish. In an attempt to forget her unsettling dreams, the next morning she and Sawyer set out to find some more supplies only to stumble across yet another waterfall, breathtaking in its own right. The temptation to dive in was too much to resist, but the fun was interrupted when Kate cut her foot on some wreckage stealthily hiding below the surface. Against his will, Sawyer had rushed Kate to Jack's aid, wishing he was the one who could fix her and make her all better. It wasn't so much that Jack could tend to her wounds physically that bothered him, it was how he got to that place in Kate's heart Sawyer couldn't reach.

Later that night back at the beach, Kate tossed and turned again, this time jolting into reality calling Jack's name, just like she had in the jungle that first chaotic day. Luckily it wasn't nearly as audible, and the camp remained undisturbed by her private musings.

A mile away and an hour later, Jack still sat hypnotized by the dancing colors in the fire while everyone around him drifted into a restful slumber. He was so lost in thought he was startled to hear a voice behind him.

"Jack?"

"Kate? What are you doing here? You walked though the jungle alone in the dark?"

"I couldn't sleep. I just knew you guys were hoarding all the marshmallows so I couldn't miss the s'mores."

Jack chuckled. "Did you find chocolate growing somewhere because all I have is dirt."

Kate walked over and sat next to him on the log.

"You couldn't sleep either huh?"

"No, I figured I'd stay up for the Late Late Show."

Kate grinned and Jack caught the light dancing in her hazy green eyes.

"How's your foot holding up?" he asked.

"Fine, I had it patched up by the best doctor on the island. He's pretty cheap too."

Jack couldn't help but let a smile escape, and Kate was enveloped in how it made her feel warm and contented. She loved it when she could melt his resolve for just an instant, which is why she hated to ask the next question.

"You were thinking about your father again weren't you?"

Jack's features softened and he looked at the ground shyly as he shook his head in gentle confirmation. Kate knew it wasn't easy to for him to let his guard down, but she wanted to know what was on his mind. She wanted to help.

"You can talk to me you know, if you want."

Jack gave her a reassuring look of appreciation and gratitude. He did know she was there, but he was more worried about her.

"How about you...more nightmares?"

Kate whispered a timid yes as she absently kicked at a stone just below her good foot. In a sudden breeze, Jack noticed a bite to the wind, and he saw Kate was shivering ever so slightly. He reached behind him to grab one of the flannel blankets, and dusted off the leaves and dirt with care and patience. Inching a bit closer, he wrapped Kate and himself within the soft material, his arm encircling around her as they sat side by side. Both let out a sigh of exhaustion, but also relief. For just this moment in time, they felt safe and peaceful. Embraced not only physically within the warmth of the blanket, but in the presence of each other and an inexplicable sense of belonging. Kate was lulled by this feeling and the comforting sound of Jack's breathing, so she placed her head gingerly upon his shoulder. He returned in kind by laying his head tenderly atop hers, and as he looked up at the lucid sky sprinkled with stars, he knew he wasn't alone anymore, and so did she.


End file.
